The present invention relates to a gas turbine engine stand. In particular it relates to a stand that supports a gas turbine engine or a core engine thereof.
Gas turbine engines, particularly those used to power aircraft, must be transported off-wing periodically. For example, spare or replacement engines must be transported to the location of the storage facility or the aircraft to which they are to be fitted. Other engines must be removed from service and transported to the manufacturer or a repair and overhaul base for maintenance activity. Such transportation is typically achieved by loading the engine into the hold of a cargo aircraft such as a Boeing 747-400F or Boeing 777-200ERF.
Some modern gas turbine engines are too large to fit into the hold of such an aircraft. Thus it is necessary to split the engine into two components: the fan case and the core engine. Each of these components may then be loaded into the cargo bay separately, for example on air freight pallets, since neither of them exceeds the maximum dimensions of the hold and cargo bay doors.